Pleasure boats such as high-end fishing and bass boats are typically equipped with one or more padded swivel seats. Each swivel seat is typically mounted in a recessed hole or base in the raised deck portion of the boat, and provides for a more comfortable vantage point for the angler who wants better viewing. Rowboats and dinghies, however, are generally not equipped with plush swivel seats; rather, these types of boats are typically equipped with only one or more traverse bench-style seat (also commonly referred to as a thwart). As is known in the art, a typical thwart consists of a flat wooden or metallic plank (relatively uncomfortable) extending transversely across the boat. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a way to retrofit a bench-style boat seat or thwart with an adjustable and more comfortable swivel seat.
A review of the prior art and, in particular, the various chair and seat assemblies identified under Class 297, Chairs and Seats, of the U.S. Patent Classification system reveals very few devices for retrofitting a bench-style boat seat or thwart into a more comfortable and luxurious adjustable swivel seat arrangement. A number of boat seat attachments, however, are known in the art. Such attachments generally vary as to the means for releasably securing the seat base to the thwart of the boat. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,843,348 to Samuels discloses a detachable mounting for boat seats wherein a plurality of thwart-engaging cams are rotatably mounted on opposing ends of a pair of telescoping inner and outer members. A crank is journalled for rotation in the outer end of the outer member and is in unitary assembly with a rod disposed therein. The rod has a screw-threaded inner end disposed in a complementary screw-threaded recess in the inner end of the inner member. Rotation of the crank rotates the rod and, therefore, causes the cams to move together and grip the boat thwart. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,591,112 to Garmhausen discloses a boat seat clamp having a horizontal bar which can be adjusted lengthwise. A clamp member is slidably mounted on one end of the bar and locked to the bar by cam action under clamping pressure applied by an operator so as to frictionally engage the thwarts.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,718,365 to Gibson discloses a seat attachment for boats which includes a rectangular, tubular main frame having clamp means for detachably securing the frame to the sides of the boat. A sub-frame carrying a seat is engaged with opposite sides of the tubular main frame to permit sliding adjustment of the sub-frame longitudinally of the main frame. U.S. Pat. No. 3,789,444 to McCord discloses a boat seat holder assembly including a pair of bracket plates interconnected by a swivel plate seat mounting assembly. The forward plate has a substantially monoplanar main plate portion with a turned-over flange at the forward edge thereof. The rear bracket plate has a substantially monoplanar main portion with a first flange portion bent from and extending at a right angle to the main plate portion. The front and rear bracket plates cooperate to frictionally engage the permanent seat of a boat.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,821,825 to Bailey discloses a removable boat seat attachment having a seat rotatably mounted on a base member. The base member has seat board engaging members which cooperate with an adjustable clamp having seat board engaging portions such that the engaging member and the clamp engage opposite edges of the seat board for securing the base member thereto. Quick release locking-type fasteners have portions secured to the base member and the clamp for urging and normally maintaining the seat board engaging portions in clamping engagement and removably securing the boat seat attachment thereto.
The boat seat constructions of the prior art suffer from several deficiencies. Many of such constructions are not adaptable to bench and thwart structures of different sizes. Others require time-consuming effort to attach the seat to the bench or thwart and release it therefrom. Those constructions which avoid these problems suffer from expensive and complicated mounting structures. Thus, there is still a need in the art for new and improved chair mount assemblies and related kits for retrofitting a bench-style boat seat or thwart. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides for further related advantages.